Comments on: Will Renewable Energy Be The End Of The Sage Grouse In Wyoming? http://www.ecosphericblog.com/91/will-renewable-energy-be-the-end-of-the-sage-grouse-in-wyoming/ Information for those who want to live and laugh more sustainably! Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:14:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Luke Turner http://www.ecosphericblog.com/91/will-renewable-energy-be-the-end-of-the-sage-grouse-in-wyoming/comment-page-1/#comment-403 Luke Turner Sat, 01 May 2010 00:46:06 +0000 http://eco.seebethwrite.com/?p=91#comment-403 Wind power is a good source of electricity but it also takes up lots of space just like solar power plants.``* Wind power is a good source of electricity but it also takes up lots of space just like solar power plants.“*

]]> By: Alex Zorach http://www.ecosphericblog.com/91/will-renewable-energy-be-the-end-of-the-sage-grouse-in-wyoming/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Alex Zorach Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:44:48 +0000 http://eco.seebethwrite.com/?p=91#comment-35 This seems to be something that it would be pretty easy to solve. Test out installing the turbines in a limited area, and see what effect it has on the populations. This could have several benefits...if it's done over time, new techniques for installation might be developed that minimize impact on the habitat. Information also might be gathered about timing of the installations.<br /><br />It could be that the habitat is disturbed more during installation than during long-term maintenance. In this case, staggering the installations rather than doing them all at once would be a solution.<br /><br />This approach might have hidden benefits. Perhaps over time, the wind turbines might become cheaper, or new turbines might become available.<br /><br />Rarely is anything gained by doing massive projects all at once. That's not only a way to open the door up to possible ecological disaster, but it's a risky business decision as well. Here in the United States we have a tendency to favor big projects, and I think that's a shame. Maybe these problems would go away if we took more gradual, incremental approaches to problems? This seems to be something that it would be pretty easy to solve. Test out installing the turbines in a limited area, and see what effect it has on the populations. This could have several benefits…if it's done over time, new techniques for installation might be developed that minimize impact on the habitat. Information also might be gathered about timing of the installations.

It could be that the habitat is disturbed more during installation than during long-term maintenance. In this case, staggering the installations rather than doing them all at once would be a solution.

This approach might have hidden benefits. Perhaps over time, the wind turbines might become cheaper, or new turbines might become available.

Rarely is anything gained by doing massive projects all at once. That's not only a way to open the door up to possible ecological disaster, but it's a risky business decision as well. Here in the United States we have a tendency to favor big projects, and I think that's a shame. Maybe these problems would go away if we took more gradual, incremental approaches to problems?

]]> By: Deborah Aldridge http://www.ecosphericblog.com/91/will-renewable-energy-be-the-end-of-the-sage-grouse-in-wyoming/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Deborah Aldridge Sat, 23 Jan 2010 04:43:06 +0000 http://eco.seebethwrite.com/?p=91#comment-34 It's always a conundrum...animals or man's needs? I'm glad I don't have to make those types of decisions. It's always a conundrum…animals or man's needs? I'm glad I don't have to make those types of decisions.

]]> By: jonathan http://www.ecosphericblog.com/91/will-renewable-energy-be-the-end-of-the-sage-grouse-in-wyoming/comment-page-1/#comment-33 jonathan Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:47:50 +0000 http://eco.seebethwrite.com/?p=91#comment-33 It is a dilemma indeed. And a complicated one at that. On the surface, it looks like a choice or dichotomy has been set up between wind power and the sage grouse. This may or may not be a false choice: Biologists disagree on the actual impacts that turbines might have on the grouse. But that aside, the issue is further complicated by the dichotomy that has arisen between the oil and gas industry and wind power, regarding the sage grouse. And, in fact, wind power is disproportionately bearing the burden of the sage grouse protection rules (as opposed to oil and gas). For more, see here:<br /><br />http://www.hcn.org/issues/41.22/wind-resistance It is a dilemma indeed. And a complicated one at that. On the surface, it looks like a choice or dichotomy has been set up between wind power and the sage grouse. This may or may not be a false choice: Biologists disagree on the actual impacts that turbines might have on the grouse. But that aside, the issue is further complicated by the dichotomy that has arisen between the oil and gas industry and wind power, regarding the sage grouse. And, in fact, wind power is disproportionately bearing the burden of the sage grouse protection rules (as opposed to oil and gas). For more, see here:

http://www.hcn.org/issues/41.22/wind-resistance

]]>